Vamp-stay.



No. 721,393, PATENTED FEB. 24, 1903.

Afw. nooxwoon- VAMBSTAY.

APPLICATION 11.11 APR. 17, 1902. no MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AARON W. ROCKWOOD, or HYDEPARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO J. o. MOOARTER COMPANY, OF BosToN, MASSACHUSETTS.

.VAM P-STAY.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,393, dated February 24, 1903.

This invention relates to means which'are.

employed in boot and shoe uppers to prevent the vamp from stretching between its upper edge and the toe-cap during the operation of lasting the upper and from tearing or being strained at the portion'of its upper edge which extends across the openingbetween the meeting edges of the quarters. It is customary to attach a cloth stay to the upper edge of the vamp, at the central portion thereof, and to the central portion of the toe-cap. One, end of the stay is interposed between the upper edge of the vamp and the portionsof the quarters which areoverlappe'd by the vamp and receives the central portions of the lines of'stitching that unite the upper end of the vamp to the quarters, the other end of the stay being attached to the lower edge of the vamp and to the toe-cap by the stitches which unite the vamp to the toe-cap.

The invention has for its object to strengthen and finish the upper end portion of acloth vamp-stay .in such manner that it will effectively prevent the stretching of the vamp between the quarters and the toe-cap and will also effectively prevent the straining and tearing of the portion of the upper edge of the vamp which extends across the opening between the quartersand will at the same time imparta neat finish to the boot or shoe.

The invention consists in the improved compound vamp-stay which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view showing a portion of the boot or shoe provided with my improved vamp-stay. Fig. 2 represents a side view with the vamp-stay removed. Fi 3 repre- Application filed April 17,1902. $erial No. 103,384, (No modal.)

sents an edge view of the same. sents'an enlarged section on line 4 tiof Fig. 1. The same characters of reference indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

My improved vamp-stay is composed of the Fig. erepreelongated body portion at, made of suitable relatively inextensible textile fabric, and an upper portion 6, made of leather or other suitable material having a finished surface, such as that produced by enameling or otherwise ornamentally finishing a piece of leather. The end piece 19 is folded to form two wings or flaps 2 2 and an edge 3, the flaps2 2 being placed upon opposite sides of the under portion of the body a and cemented or otherwise securely attached thereto. The folded edge 3 constitutes the extreme upper end of the compound stay thus formed. When the parts of the boot or shoe are assembled,'the compound stay is placed against the innerside of the vamp 0, its upper end, covered by the end piece 5, being interposed between the upper edge portion of the vamp and thecorresponding parts of the quarters d. The stitches 5 5, which unite the vamp to the quarters, extend across and pass through the upper end portion of the stay, including the body portion or and the end piece b. The lower end portion of the body of the staypiece is secured by stitches 6 to the toe-cap e, the elongation of the said body portion being such that it extends from the toe-cap to the upper edge of the vamp.

It will beseen that the end piece I) greatly increases the strength of the upper end por-' the cloth portion .of the stay being torn away from the stitches which pass throughit. It will also be seen that the ornamental rounded edge 3, formed by folding the finished piece .1) in the manner above described, constitutes the extreme upper end of the compound stay and is visible between the vamp and quar' ters. The finish possessed by the folded edge stitch-receiving tip of leather finished on its 3 enhances the neatness and ornamental outer side and folded upon itself to form a effect of the upper. The end piece I) also folded edge 3 and two flaps 2 2, which bear prevents the upper end of the body a from on opposite sides of the upper end portion of I 5 5 raveling. Y the stay-body.

I claim- In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig- As an article of manufacture, a compound nature in presence of two witnesses. vamp-stay comprising an elongated body por- AARON W. ROOKWOOD. tion of relatively inextensible fabric formed Witnesses:

10 to extend from the toe-cap to the upper edge 0. F. BROWN,

of the vamp of a boot or shoe upper, and a l H. L. ROBBINS. 

